Hyper-X

I'm curious as to what's happening also.

If it has to do with the MAP sensor, then I don't know what to say.

However, it does occur when engine temps would appear to be at higher levels than just casual low-speed driving.

Assuming you drove on a long freeway for 30-45 minutes, then went off into a supermarket parking lot soon after, the engine temps would be high. So...

What if it had something to do with what the ECU is doing also. I agree with the idea about how it's a combination of factors to include the lack of power down low, the gear ratio in 1st, and heat. What I'm thinking is since engine temps would be higher than normal, the ECU may be backing off some ignition timing (retarding) to help reduce the chances of detonation and keep temps under control. I recall my friend's 1.7L Rabbit having almost 5 degrees less ignition timing than spec (spec was 6 BTDC, but it was 1 BTDC) and it was hard to get it going from a stop without it almost bogging out. After making only the ignition adjustment, the car ran like a champ.

I wonder if anyone with an aftermarket ECU like the Mugen has experienced the Kangaroo-ing effect?

I also wonder if anyone's running a lower temp thermostat and fan switch using the OEM ECU and has the Kangaroo-ing effect?

PWRMKR

It has been over a year since I have experienced this same phenomenon. The times that it did happen, I was stuck. No place to go, but forward, looking like an ass. Revving, jerking, stalling, leaving big gaps to jack it to speed to cool 'er down, holding the clutch in/out for as long as possible...
Never tapped the MAP. Never reset ECU. It's hard to do on the freeway. In fact, I have never done either.

Personally, I think it's due to clutch/flywheel temps being high in those conditions.

I have found that the only way to get rid of it is to get out of that situation. Take the back way. It will clear right up.

I no longer drive in stop and go traffic, so I no longer get it.

Drive Carefully.

Charly

Nail on the head. That's how I stopped mine. Higher revs and a bit more slipping of the clutch.

PWRMKR

Slipping the clutch like that, stuck in rush hour traffic, is not the thing you want to do all the time.

Dealer "Whats wrong?"
<-- "um, I've been reving 'er up a little and slipping my clutch to keep 'er from kangarooing. Why?"
Dealer "oh? Abuse. by, by."

Add:

StrangeDaze

PWRMKR,

My experiences echo yours exactly. This only happens to me after sitting in stop and go traffic for a long time. It can be a pain, but when I'm getting this "kangarooing", I'll usually declutch and then re-engage the clutch in 1st. If that doesn't work, depending on road speed, dropping it into 2nd gear seems to help.

I have seen the occasional bog while pulling away from a traffic light on a hot day and it is a totally different feeling than this kangarooing. The bog just feels like there is no power, but the car moves smoothly. This kangarooing only happens to me in rush hour traffic when I'm using the clutch frequently. That makes me think the temp. of the clutch is involved.

- Joe

rickycrx

Mine has done it with the clutch fully engaged.... And does it when stuck in traffic or rolling slowly from a stoplight in traffic on hot days (I live in San Antonio, Texas, where our summers are in the mid-to-upper-90s most days). It's not my driving technique, as I can jump into my turbocharged CRXs (one of which has an ACT solid-hub 6-puck race clutch and 7lb aluminum flywheel) or our Integra and have no 'bucking' or 'kangaroo' problems whatsoever.

It appears to be 100% attributable to heat soak when the engine is very hot and not getting much airflow. If you floor the throttle when it does this, it stops bucking, but bogs nicely until it can get some 'cooler' air into the intake pipe/intake manifold. I think there's a temperature sensor that is in the wrong place or something of that nature. I wish I could find the solution to this 'problem' or 'characteristic' on these cars.

I also wish I could find out how to get the A/C to stop having the "warm/cold/warm/cold/warm/cold" cycling effect when driving on the highway on very hot days. That pisses me off, too... Seems like most people's cars do this one, as well.

xviper

You may not want to do it, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get down the road. When I say "slip the clutch a bit more and rev it up a bit more", I'm not talking about revving the bejeesus out of it and I'm not saying to slip the clutch the whole time you are closing the gap to the car in front after he has come to a halt. What I'm saying is to rev it up just enough and let the clutch slip just enough to impart sufficient power to the drive wheels to propel the car forward in a controlled way. Then you push the clutch back in and let off the throttle and coast the distance to close that gap in stop and go traffic. I've done this for upwards of 45 minutes. This is no where even close to abuse. This is just knowing what technique to use to get the job done and that was what I was talking about.
You folks are making this whole "bucking" thing FAR more complicated than it needs to be. It has been this way for 3 years on this forum and those who post about it and then figure out what to do are never heard from again. Then along comes another group of owners to post about it, etc, etc, etc. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR CAR!

S2oooNvegas

hey, for all of you with the jerking problem, its all about underhood temp, youll only notice the car does it when its hot.
the air is thin and the car has trouble getting a good gulp, best way to cure this, just bump the button for your fans, and turn on the A/C, then the fans under the hood will run at full speed when you are in stop and go traffic. this cures it every time for me. i also use this trick to keep my underhood temp down at the street races, works good for launch, otherwise car is dead out of the hole. i live in vegas, and when its 115 here, you can imagine how hot under the hood is, car will stall if i leave the fans off. well best of luck to you all, PM me if you have success with this tip. nice to know that i helped. dave

basscase

My car did it with only two bars on the temp gauge this morning. The outside temp was 60 F, and I was in stop-and-go traffic. So at least for me, I can assume it's not heat-related.

To me, it's no big deal-- but it's somewhat reassuring to know everyone has the same problem, even with '03 models.

The S2000 just doesn't like traffic (or red lights, or stop signs) any more than we do.

PWRMKR

So Funny.

Done that Dave. Still, it